Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Serginho’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Serginho’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; early response time; decorative-type inflorescences with elliptic-shaped ray florets; light yellow-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Serginho’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Serginho’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands. The objective of the program is to create or discover new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform and vigorous plant growth and good post-production longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made on Mar. 21, 2003 in Hensbroek, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 1002.34, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 98.1911.02, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Hensbroek, The Netherlands on about Dec. 1, 2003. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Serginho has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Serginho’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Serginho’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Early response time.     -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences with elliptic-shaped ray         florets.     -   5. Light yellow-colored ray florets.     -   6. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good         substance and color for about one month in an interior         environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum have darker         yellow-colored ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the         female parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have thicker stems than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more         fully double than inflorescences of plants of the male parent         selection.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum have darker         yellow-colored ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the         male parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Yoolympia, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,814. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yoolympia in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more pubescent         than leaves of plants of the cultivar Yoolympia.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three to four         days earlier than plants of the cultivar Yoolympia.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had fewer         ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar         Yoolympia.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yoolympia         differed in ray floret shape and color.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Yoamarillo, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,970. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yoamarillo in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more compact than plants         of the cultivar Yoamarillo.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three to four         days earlier than plants of the cultivar Yoamarillo.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had fewer         ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar         Yoamarillo.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yoamarillo         differed in ray floret shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Serginho’.

The photograph on at the top of the second sheet comprises a top perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Serginho’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet comprises a close-up view of the upper (left) and lower (right) surfaces of typical inflorescences and leaves of ‘Serginho’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the summer in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. During the production of these plants, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 22° C. and night temperatures were about 19° C. Unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 12-cm containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched once about two weeks later. About one week after the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were initiated.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Serginho. -   Commercial classification: Decorative-type potted Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 1002.34,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number             98.1911.02, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 5 days at 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 7 days at 19° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About 12 days at             22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 14 days at             19° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white, close to 155D, in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type potted Chrysanthemum             that is typically grown as a disbud-type. Upright with             lateral branches outwardly spreading; uniformly mounded             crown. Strong, freely branching and vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 20 cm to 25 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 30 cm.         -   Flowering stems.—Length: About 15 cm to 20 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             146B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 5 cm to 8 cm. Width: About 3.5 cm to 7 cm. Apex:             Apiculate to mucronate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately             lobed. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color:             Developing foliage, upper surface: Close to 146A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully developed             foliage, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation, 146A. Fully             developed foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             146B. Petiole length: About 1.5 cm. Petiole diameter: About             3.5 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             146C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elliptic-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets develop             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Uniform and early flowering             habit; plants exposed to three weeks of long day/short night             conditions followed by photoinductive short day/long night             conditions flower about 7.5 weeks later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about one month in an interior             environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About four to six inflorescences             per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 9 mm.             Shape: Oblate. Color: 137B.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 10 cm to 12 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 2 cm to 3 cm.         -   Diameter of disc.—About 5 mm; inconspicuous.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 4 cm to 6 cm. Width: About 9 mm             to 12 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Emarginate to praemorse.             Base: Attenuate and fused into a corolla tube. Margin:             Entire. Orientation: Initially upright to eventually             perpendicular. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence:             About 160 arranged in numerous whorls. Color: When opening,             upper surface: 3A. When opening, lower surface: 5C. Fully             opened, upper surface: 4A. Fully opened, lower surface:             Closest to 6D.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm to 1.5 mm.             Shape: Tubular; elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Color:             Immature: 21B. Mature, apex: Close to 2A. Mature,             mid-section: Close to 21B. Mature, base: 145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20. Length:             About 7 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Waxy, smooth. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent.             Color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface:             137B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther color: Close to 12A. Pollen amount: None             observed. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.             Stigma color: Close to 145C to 145D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial greenhouse conditions. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Serginho’, as illustrated and described. 